ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing) Entry 1, 2 and 3

Transcription

1 Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing) Entry 1, 2 and 3 Specification Ofqual Accreditation Number: Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 1) 100/4880/7 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 2) 100/4881/9 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 3) 100/4882/0 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 1) 100/4883/2 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 2) 100/4884/4 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 3) 100/4885/6 Ofqual Accreditation Start Date: 1 February 2005 Ofqual Accreditation End Date: 31 August 2012 Ofqual Certification End Date: 31 August 2014 Page 1 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

2 ASCENTIS MISSION STATEMENT About Ascentis Building Partnerships to Advance and Accredit Lifelong Learning for All. Ascentis was originally established in 1975 as OCNW, a co-operative scheme between Universities and Colleges of Further Education. OCNW was the first Open College in the UK and served the needs of its members for over 34 years. Throughout this period OCNW grew yet maintained its independence in order that it could continue to respond to the requirements of its customers and provide a consistently high standard of service to all centres across the country and in recent years to its increasing cohorts of overseas learners. In 2009 OCNW became Ascentis - a company limited by guarantee and a registered educational charity. Ascentis is distinctive and unusual in that it is both: a National Awarding Body (NAB) approved by the office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and an Access Validating Agency (AVA) for Access to HE Programmes licensed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Ascentis is therefore able to offer a comprehensive ladder of opportunities to centres and their students, including Foundation Learning, vocational programmes and progressing to QAA recognised Access to HE qualifications. The flexible and adult-friendly ethos of Ascentis has resulted in centres throughout the UK choosing to run its qualifications. Ascentis Contact Details Ascentis Office 4 Lancaster Business Park Mannin Way Caton Road Lancaster LA1 3SW Tel: Company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales No Registered Charity No Page 2 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE SPECIFICATION SUMMARY 1 4 Introduction 1 4 Structure of the Award 1 4 Assessment and Verification Arrangements 1 4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1 5 Rationale 1 5 Aims 1 5 Objectives 1 5 Contribution to the quality and coherence of provision 1 6 OFQUAL Qualification Accreditation Numbers 1 6 OFQUAL Qualification Accredited Units and Numbers 1 6 Mapping to National Standards and the ESOL core curriculum 1 7 ESOL terms 1 7 Recommended prior learning, attainment or experience 1 7 Opportunities for progression 1 7 Restrictions on multiple entry 1 7 Guided learning hours 1 8 Awarding 1 8 Candidates with particular needs 1 8 Language of materials 1 8 Other issues 1 8 Centre Recognition 1 9 Qualification Approval 1 9 Candidate Registration 1 9 Status in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 1 9 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations 1 9 Enquiries and Appeals procedure 1 9 ASSESSMENT AND VERIFICATION ARRANGEMENTS 1 10 Overview of the assessment 1 10 External assessment 1 10 Conduct of external assessment 1 11 Timings 1 11 Tutor support 1 11 Citizenship Materials 1 12 Internal verification 1 12 External verification 1 12 Use of dictionaries 1 13 Standardisation 1 13 Feedback of results to centres 1 13 Knowledge, understanding & skills required of assessors 1 13 UNIT SPECIFICATIONS 2 14 Entry Entry Entry Appendix 1 Summary Record of Achievement 5 43 Appendix 2 Performance Descriptors 5 44 Appendix 3 Attendance List 5 51 Page 3 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

4 Specification Summary Introduction The Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking & Listening, Reading and Writing) qualifications spans the three sub-levels of Entry 1, 2 and 3 in the National Qualifications Framework. Entry 3 is the highest level of the award. The qualifications meet the requirements of the National Standards for Adult Literacy and relate closely to the National Core Curriculum for ESOL. The target candidates for this qualification are adults living in Britain, including asylum seekers, settled refugees and settled communities from the Asian sub-continent and Hong Kong. These qualifications are designed to address the language development needs of these groups of candidates. There are several features of these qualifications that make them very appropriate for their target candidates: Clear linkage between the ESOL core curriculum and the assessment tasks Each mode is externally assessed External assessments are marked by centre assessors, internally moderated and then externally moderated by Ascentis Mark schemes are very user friendly Assessment dates are determined by the centre, not Ascentis The Speaking and Listening mode can be achieved as a qualification in its own right. Structure of the Qualification Level Unit title Mandatory or Optional units Entry 1 Speaking and Listening Entry 1 Reading To achieve the full all mode qualification the Entry 1 Writing candidate must complete units in the three modes, although achievement of the modes Entry 2 Speaking and Listening may be at different levels. The Speaking and Entry 2 Reading Listening mode is also recognised as a Entry 2 Writing separate qualification with accreditation Entry 3 Speaking and Listening numbers at all three levels. Unit certification is Entry 3 Reading available for the reading and writing units. Entry 3 Writing Each unit describes the skills required and the tasks the candidate must perform to demonstrate the skills. Assessment and Verification Arrangements Each unit is assessed through an external assessment. External assessments are written by and provided by Ascentis, and must be stored in centres under secure conditions. They include a mark scheme. Assessments are internally marked by centre assessors and then internally moderated to ensure consistency. The assessments will then be externally moderated by Ascentis. Page 4 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

5 Background Information Rationale The national strategy to tackle the literacy, language and numeracy needs of adults was launched by the government in March Following the publication of A Fresh Start - Improving Literacy and Numeracy (DfES, 1999), the government committed itself, its education services and a cross-section of national bodies to a major reduction in the number of adults who struggle with literacy, language and numeracy. This national strategy has introduced core curricula for literacy, numeracy and ESOL to clarify the skills, knowledge and understanding that candidates need in order to reach the national standards. Over 7 million adults in Britain have difficulties with literacy and numeracy. It is estimated that around a million of these adults have a first language other than English. Breaking the Language Barriers identified four broad categories of adults who are speakers of other languages. Each of them brings a wealth of cultural experience and diversity to this country. These qualifications take as their primary candidate groups settled minority communities and refugees/asylum seekers. These candidates have varying degrees of linguistic competence in their first language; some are highly articulate in speech and highly literate in writing, whilst others are fluent in their spoken language but may be non-literate in reading and writing. In all cases these candidates will need to develop aspects of English in order to derive the most benefits in their community and at work. Candidates are encouraged to develop and apply their skill in English so that they function better in the community, can access services effectively and can start to move around, confidently and independently, beyond their immediate locality. These qualifications can also be used as a means of preparing candidates for work. Aim These qualifications contribute to the Government s Skills for Life initiative by providing assessment of ESOL that is designed around the standards for adult literacy and the ESOL Core curriculum. They are designed to cover the standards and curriculum with sufficient range, breadth and depth to properly reflect the use of the English language in real world situations, appropriate to the needs of the candidates and the NQF level in question. Objectives To provide units of assessment that describe skill in English for each mode of language (Speaking & Listening, Reading and Writing) To provide such units at each Entry level (Entry 1, 2 and 3) To assess each unit by means of external assessment To provide qualifications in ESOL that are flexible: Each of the three levels of these qualifications provides a unitised structure and is available in the three modes Candidates can enter for assessment in different modes at different levels as appropriate Candidates who successfully achieve a unit at a particular level can claim a unit certificate Where candidates take all three modes at different levels they will achieve the qualification at the lowest mode achieved Candidates can carry forward any units achieved at a higher level, and when ready take the remaining units at the higher level, in order to achieve the whole qualification at the higher level Page 5 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

6 Contribution to the Quality and Coherence of Provision Ascentis Entry 1, 2, 3 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life These qualifications are designed to address the language development needs of adults living in Britain including asylum seekers, settled refugees and settled communities. The Ascentis ESOL qualifications at the three Entry Levels are one set of a family of qualifications called Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life, based on the National Standards for Adult Literacy. They are related closely to the ESOL Core Curriculum and designed specifically for people living in Britain. Many of these qualifications focus on preparing candidates for the world of work and citizenship. The Ascentis qualifications contribute to the coherence of provision nationally by catering for a wider range of candidates. The primary aim of the Ascentis qualifications is to assist the candidate to become independent of others (such as interpreters or translators; be they professionals, family or friends) when interacting with native English-speakers, whether in a work environment or not. Furthermore, these candidates benefit from the development of the ability to access service providers and to have the linguistic confidence to travel, work and socialise beyond their local community. Ofqual Qualification Accreditation Number Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 1) 100/4880/7 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 2) 100/4881/9 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 3) 100/4882/0 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 1) 100/4883/2 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 2) 100/4884/4 Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 3) 100/4885/6 Ofqual Qualification Accredited Units and Numbers Unit Title Unit Number Unit 01 Speaking and Listening (Entry 1) J/102/9283 Unit 02 Reading (Entry 1) L/102/9284 Unit 03 Writing (Entry 1) K/102/9289 Unit 04 Speaking and Listening (Entry 2) R/102/9285 Unit 05 Reading (Entry 2) Y/102/9286 Unit 06 Writing (Entry 2) D/102/9290 Unit 07 Speaking and Listening (Entry 3) D/102/9287 Unit 08 Reading (Entry 3) H/102/9288 Unit 09 Writing (Entry 3) H/102/9291 Page 6 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

7 Mapping to National Standards and the ESOL Core Curriculum Ascentis Entry 1, 2, 3 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life These qualifications are based on the National Standards for Adult Literacy and relate closely to the ESOL Core Curriculum. For delivery purposes the tutor will need to use this specification in conjunction with the ESOL Core Curriculum, and may also find the adult literacy Core Curriculum and the pre-entry Core Curriculum helpful. The revised ESOL Core Curriculum can be found online at under Skills for Life. ESOL Terms ESOL is an acronym that stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages. Other acronyms are widely used in English language teaching including: English as an Additional Language (EAL), English as a Second Language (ESL) and English Language Teaching (ELT). In post-16 education the universally accepted term is ESOL, whereas EAL is normally used to describe this work in schools. Both terms are deeply embedded in their respective contexts so the decision was taken by the regulatory authorities to use the term ESOL for qualifications designed for adults. Recommended Prior Knowledge, Attainment or Experience No previous formal qualifications are required for entry to these qualifications. Where a candidate has completed and successfully achieved a particular level of these qualifications they may progress to the next higher level. Candidates without previous certificated learning in English, seeking to register for levels above Entry 1, should be assessed to determine their ability to perform the skills described at the level immediately below. Such candidates should be provided with an initial assessment to judge their level of language skill and communicative competence, as described in this specification. This assessment should be administered by an ESOL tutor and give an indication of the level at which the ESOL candidate is currently working. Opportunities for progression (to and from these qualifications) These qualifications are made up of three Entry levels. Candidates may progress through the levels from Entry 1 to Entry 3 by successfully achieving each level in turn. Candidates who wish to progress to ESOL qualifications beyond Entry 3 can take a Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life at Level 1 or Level 2. This comprises the national test for assessment of the reading mode plus an assessment of Speaking and Listening and an assessment of Writing. ESOL Skills for Life candidates who take the national test will achieve a Certificate in Adult Literacy. A Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life in all three modes at level 1 is the equivalent in terms of level of language demand to a Functional Skills English qualification at level 1 or a GCSE grades D to G. A Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life in all three modes at level 2 is the equivalent in terms of level of language demand to a Functional Skills English qualification at level 2 or a GCSE grades C or above. Restrictions on Multiple Entries There are no restrictions that apply to candidates who register for the Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking & Listening, Reading and Writing) qualifications. The units of these qualifications do not overlap with any other Ascentis qualification or programme. Page 7 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

8 Guided Learning Hours / Contact Time The figures of GLH for all modes and GLH for a single mode are given as guidance to support curriculum planning where the qualification is used with learners pre-16. For post 16 learners the expectation is that the time taken may be substantially higher (around 300 GLH for the full qualification). These learners would be expected to move, over the period of the course, from one level of competence to the next. Any course leading to an Ascentis ESOL Skills for Life qualification should have a minimum of 30 hours contact time. This contact time can include: Face-to-face delivery by tutors Initial assessment Assessment time. Awarding For the all mode qualifications candidates must complete all the evidence requirements for all units to achieve the certificate. The certificate will bear the title: Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Entry 1, Entry 2 or Entry 3 For the Speaking and Listening mode qualification candidates must complete all the evidence requirements for the Speaking and Listening unit. Unit certification is also available for the Reading and Writing units at all the Entry Levels. Candidates must complete all the evidence requirements for each unit claimed. Unit certificates will clearly indicate the unit and level being certificated. Where candidates provide evidence of achievement at different levels for each of the modes, the full certificate will be awarded at the lowest level achieved, but achievement at each level will be stated on the certificate. Language of Materials Ascentis strives to use language that is plain, clear, free from bias and appropriate to Entry Level candidates. All materials are reviewed by Ascentis officers, independent reviewers and subject experts before being finalised. Tutors must also ensure that materials developed for candidates are likewise clear, plain, free from bias and appropriate to Entry level ESOL candidates. Other issues These qualifications recognise that the study of English language offers ample opportunities to foster an understanding of spiritual, moral, ethical, social and cultural issues and to raise awareness of environmental issues, and health and safety considerations. It can also provide a vehicle for the consideration of European developments, consistent with relevant international agreements. This can be achieved through choice of contexts, topic and texts. These qualifications offer many opportunities for candidates to develop their language and communicative skills including discussion, expressing their own views in an appropriate way and respecting the views of others. Page 8 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

9 Centre Recognition This qualification can only be offered by centres recognised by Ascentis and approved to run this qualification. Details of the centre recognition and qualification approval process are available from the Ascentis office (tel ) or from the website at Qualification Approval If your centre is already a recognised centre, you will need to complete and submit a qualification approval form to deliver this qualification. Details of the qualification approval process are available from the Ascentis office (tel ) or from the website at Candidate Registration Learners should be registered via Rhombus, Ascentis electronic portal. Information about the portal can be obtained on the website www. Ascentis.co.uk, by downloading the leaflet Rhombus Step by Step Guide or speaking to a member of Ascentis staff. The number of learners the centre intends to register for the qualification must be provided to Ascentis at least 6 weeks before verification. The names of all learners to be moderated must be provided to Ascentis at least one week before verification. If the number of named learners is higher than the number initially indicated to Ascentis, then the additional learner registrations will incur a higher registration fee. Certification charges are invoiced separately after verification per certificate issued to allow more flexibility for centres. Status in England, Wales and Northern Ireland This qualification is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is only offered in English. If a centre based overseas (including Scotland) would like to offer this qualification, they should make an enquiry to Ascentis. Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations In the development of this qualification Ascentis has made every attempt to ensure that there are no unnecessary barriers to achievement. For candidates with particular requirements reasonable adjustments may be made in order that candidates can have fair assessment and demonstrate attainment. There are also arrangements for special consideration for any candidate suffering illness, injury or indisposition. Full details of the reasonable adjustments and special considerations are available from the documents and policies area of the Ascentis website or through contacting the Ascentis office. Enquiries and Appeals Procedure Ascentis has an appeals procedure in accordance with the statutory regulation of external qualifications. Full details of this procedure, including how to make an application, are available from the password protected area of the Ascentis website or through contacting the Ascentis office. Page 9 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

10 Assessment and Verification Arrangements Overview of the Assessment The Ascentis ESOL Skills for Life qualifications require evidence of achievement of all the skills and activities that are set out in each unit within the specification. Each unit is assessed through the completion of external tasks provided by Ascentis. Assessments are internally marked by centre assessors and then internally moderated to ensure consistency. The assessments will then be externally moderated by Ascentis. Mark schemes are provided for the assessment and they give the criteria of achievement. Assessors should judge their candidates performance against these criteria. Performance descriptors are also available in Appendix 2 for each mode at each level. These are useful for the tutor to make an initial judgement on the candidate s overall performance within an activity, before looking at the more detailed criteria within the mark schemes. Each unit has two bands of achievement, satisfactory, or good together with a did not achieve band. Satisfactory is the minimum level of achievement. To achieve an overall satisfactory for a unit the candidate must demonstrate achievement consistently at satisfactory or above in the assessment for the unit. To achieve good for a unit the candidate must demonstrate achievement consistently at good in the assessment for the unit. If even one criterion has been designated as satisfactory then the candidate s overall band has to be satisfactory. Similarly, if a candidate has demonstrated achievement at satisfactory in all but one criterion, then the overall achievement has to be did not achieve. Tutors are advised to keep track of an individual candidate s progress through using the Summary Record of Achievement (Appendix 1). Whilst the bands of achievement are not recognised on the candidate s certificate they are useful in order to pick up on a candidate s strengths and weaknesses within a level and can be used to inform the individual learning plan. The centre must retain evidence for the assessments for 4 weeks after the date of the verification in case of appeal. Assessment A bank of assessments is written and provided by Ascentis. Once downloaded, these must be stored in centres under secure conditions. Once centres have registered learners via Rhombus, the electronic portal, they will have access to a bank of assessments at the relevant level. Centres will also require a CD for the Speaking and Listening assessments. This will be sent automatically to any centre that applies to offer the ESOL qualifications. Ascentis allows one CD per centre; should a centre require more copies, it should contact the Ascentis Office. This specification provides an indication of the kind of assessment the candidate is going to be asked to perform and of the skills to be assessed. However, the exact content of the task is not made available. The live tasks cannot be altered or amended and must be carried out by the candidate under supervised conditions. Ascentis will provide tasks for each mode at each level. A time limit for the completion of the external assessment tasks is given for the guidance of tutors. Candidates cannot be assessed through the same task more than once. If a candidate is unsuccessful in an assessment he/she may be given another opportunity for assessment, but this must be a different task. It is a centre s responsibility to monitor the use of the assessments and their security. Sample assessment tasks are available on the Ascentis website which can be used as practice materials with the candidates. Page 10 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

11 Conduct of Assessment The approved tasks must be taken under supervised conditions as follows: If the tasks for a unit are completed over different sessions a candidate should be given only the task that they are expected to complete during that session. All work completed as evidence for the activity must be clearly marked with the candidate s name and date and handed in at the end of each session. It is the centre's responsibility to make sure that such evidence in progress is securely kept and not contaminated by candidate evidence produced elsewhere. Only work produced and completed under such conditions may be included as the evidence for externally approved activity for any candidate. In exceptional circumstances where evidence of competence is based on observations of activities or oral responses, centres should contact the Ascentis Office in the first instance. The centre will then be sent the correct Pro Forma. Centres are required to complete an Attendance List for each mode Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. A copy of this document can be found in Appendix 3 of this document. Timings Assessment materials contain guide times for completing tasks. These times are approximate and are provided for the guidance of tutors. Tutor Support Candidates should be put forward for assessment at the level suitable for them and when they are judged to have acquired sufficient skills to achieve the level in a mode. Speaking and Listening Although tutors should explain the nature of the task and may read out the questions they must not help the candidates with the listening part of the task. Written responses are required for the listening tasks, and only at Entry 1 may the tutor write down the candidate s answer if this proves a difficulty. This is not permissible at Entry 2 and Entry 3 unless the candidate has particular needs, in which case guidance should be sought from the Ascentis office. When carrying out assessment work with other candidates, the tutor must be rigorous to ensure that each candidate has a fair opportunity to be assessed on all parts of the speaking and listening skills and is not hindered e.g. by the poor performance of other candidates. If this is the case, the tutor will need to intervene and if necessary take on the role of one of the candidates to ensure fairness of assessment opportunity. Reading The questions for the Reading tasks will be written at the same level as the assessment so that candidates can read them. At Entry 1 tutors may read out the question rubrics if a candidate is struggling and the tutor may write down the candidate s answer if this proves a difficulty. However at Entry 2 and 3 the question rubrics cannot be read out and the candidates are expected to write the answers out themselves unless they have particular needs in which case guidance should be sought from the Ascentis office. Candidates should not be penalised by mis-spelt or poorly written responses, if the content is correct. The key criterion is that the candidates show evidence of reading and understanding. Writing Page 11 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

12 Tutors may provide full tutor support to ensure that the candidate understands the task or questions and can read them out aloud if necessary, though the emphasis should be on candidates reading them for themselves. However, candidates must form and write a response without assistance. Page 12 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

13 Speaking and Listening Citizenship Assessment Materials Ascentis Entry 1, 2, 3 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Ascentis has devised a set of external assessment materials based on the materials in the NIACE Citizenship for ESOL Learners pack commissioned in 2005 by the Department for Education and Skills and the Home Office and revised in June You do not need to flag your intention to use these assessments upon registration. Instead you should highlight the fact that learners have taken the citizenship assessments to your moderator at external verification. The fact that the assessment has been taken in the context of citizenship can then be recognised on the certificate. The materials are available to download from the password protected section of the Ascentis website: Internal Verification Internal verification is the process of ensuring that everyone who assesses the units of the ESOL qualifications in a centre is assessing to the same standard. Internal verification of ESOL qualifications will be co-ordinated by a named Centre Co-ordinator at each centre, who will liaise with Ascentis. The Centre Co-ordinator may or may not also act as the Internal Moderator. Internal verification should be carried out through standardisation activities including the verification of a sample of candidates evidence, ensuring the sample covers all aspects of the qualification for each cohort of candidates across all tutors delivering the course. Further details on the sampling strategy are available on the Ascentis website. It is the responsibility of the Internal Moderator to ensure that the assessors decisions are sampled and monitored to ensure consistency and fairness. Internal Moderators are also responsible for supporting assessors by offering advice and guidance. External Verification Ascentis External Verifiers will confirm the internal verification activities during their visit to the centre. The provision of these arrangements forms part of the conditions required for centre approval to offer the qualifications. Ascentis will identify, from student registrations, the candidates to be sampled for verification. The tutor or co-ordinator must collect all folders and recorded evidence and make them available for verification. The moderator will examine the selected sample of files. He/she may ask to see additional folders if required. Accredited centres for Ascentis Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life qualifications will usually be visited twice a year for External Verification. Additional visits can be arranged at the discretion of the Quality Assurance Manager. There will be a charge for this service; please contact the Ascentis Office. The focus of the External Verification visits will include: Staff development, including guidance and support for all assessors and internal moderators Evidence of verification ensuring the External Verifier s sample covers all units undertaken by the candidate cohort at the centre Checking that internal verification activities have been carried out. As part of the verification the Moderator will also expect to see evidence of: Schemes of work Evidence of contact time of at least 30 hours Assessment attendance lists Course delivery model Tutor CVs Evidence of Internal Verification activities, e.g. meeting minutes Initial assessment ILPs The moderator will also expect to have the opportunity to speak to tutors and learners on the course. The Ascentis External Verifier will ask for a number of dates when ESOL assessments are likely to take place. This is in order for the moderator to visit the centre at this time to ensure the appropriate conduct of the assessments. It is important to notify your moderator of any changes to previously notified dates. Page 13 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

14 Use of Dictionaries within assessments The use of a dictionary is allowed for the reading tasks, but not for the writing or speaking and listening tasks. Electronic dictionaries or other electronic language aids are not allowed. Standardisation Ascentis will collect and archive assessed candidate evidence. The evidence will cover all modes, all levels and at varying levels of performance. This evidence will be used at training meetings for tutors and for standardisation. Training meetings, to ensure that tutors are conversant with the assessment procedures and can apply the mark scheme at the standards required, will be held by Ascentis at regular intervals. Archive material will be used at these meetings to ensure consistency of standard over time and across different centre types. Feedback of Results to Centres Results must not be communicated to candidates until the verification visit has been completed on the whole centre cohort. Knowledge, Understanding and Skills required of Assessors and Internal Moderators Assessors of this qualification should hold or be working towards an initial teacher training qualification, preferably a Certificate/Post Graduate Certificate in Education or Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector and ideally should hold or be working towards a specialist ESOL teaching qualification such as the Ascentis Level 5 Additional Diploma in Teaching in English (ESOL) in the Lifelong Learning Sector. Internal Moderators need to be competent assessors with knowledge of the requirements of the internal verification process. Ascentis provides training events for internal moderators and any person new to this role would be advised to go on an Ascentis training event. Page 14 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

15 Unit Specifications Entry 1 Unit 1 Speaking and Listening Introduction In this unit, the candidates will be assessed on their skills in Speaking and Listening in English. The candidates need to demonstrate listening skills to be able to listen for gist and for detail in order to find key information. They must also follow simple instructions and directions and respond to requests for information. Candidates must speak to communicate, make requests, ask questions and make simple statements. They will also be assessed on their ability to take part in simple social exchanges with others. At this level candidates can: Listen and Respond to spoken language, including simple narratives, statements, questions and single-step instructions Speak to Communicate basic information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics Engage in Discussion with another person in a familiar situation about familiar topics Assessment The table in this specification has been developed to detail the National Adult Literacy Standards that must be achieved and within these the particular skills mediated from the ESOL Core Curriculum that needs to be demonstrated. The skills required for the assessment are detailed in the description of the tasks. The assessment materials supplied by Ascentis will include a mark scheme specific to each task and performance descriptors to be used by all assessors. There are three tasks in the assessment involving listening to a passage read by the tutor and answering questions on it, following instructions and taking part in a role play and discussion. The questions can be read to the candidates by the tutor. The tasks need not all be carried out at the same time but candidates must only see the task to be completed, not the other tasks. Candidates work must be taken in and kept securely at all times. When carrying out assessment work with other candidates working in groups, the tutor must be rigorous to ensure that each candidate has a fair opportunity to be assessed on all parts of the speaking and listening skills and is not hindered e.g. by the poor performance of other candidates. Centres are required to make a recording (digital or taped) of 100% of candidate performances in the speaking element of the assessments. Page 15 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

16 Entry 1 Unit 1 Speaking and Listening Skills Required Candidates will be assessed on all the Adult Literacy Skills Standards (statements below in bold) within the external assessment. The particular skills to be assessed, taken from the ESOL Core Curriculum, are detailed below the relevant standard. Listen for the gist of short explanations (Lr E1 1a) Recognise context, identify the situation, speaker or topic Listen for detail using key words to extract some specific information (Lre1 2a,e) Listen for and extract key information e.g. places/times Follow single-step instructions in a familiar context, asking for instructions to be repeated if necessary (Lr E1 3a,b) Recognise imperative form in instructions e.g. Point to, open Recognise sequence words e.g. next, after Listen and respond to requests for personal Information (Lr E1 4a, b) Recognise and respond to Wh-questions and Yes/No questions Respond using minimal response, short form of verb or fuller answer Recognise requests for action e.g. Sign here Speak clearly to be heard and understood in simple exchanges (Sc E1 1a,b) Place stress on correct syllable in familiar words to make speech understood Pronounce phonemes to be understood and make meaning clear Use intonation patterns Make requests using appropriate terms (Sc e1 2a) Make requests using modal verbs e.g. Can, would like Introduce requests e.g. Excuse me Ask questions to obtain specific information (Sc E1 3a,b;Sc E1 3d) Ask Wh-type questions e.g. When, what Use question form of simple present tense e.g. Do you Have you Ask for clarification. e.g. can you repeat it please Page 16 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

17 Skills Required Make statements of fact clearly Sc E1 4a,b,c,d ) Use simple present tense to make simple statements of facts within an interaction e.g. This is my neighbour, she comes from Use common prepositional phrases of place and time Use contracted forms e.g. I m Give single step instructions and a description e.g. It s on the right; it has a blue door; it s a big building, some use of definite and indefinite articles Use imperatives and negative imperatives e.g. Turn, press, stop, don t go etc Spell words out loud when asked Speak and listen in simple exchanges and in everyday contexts (Lr E1 5a,c,d; Sc E1 1b,1c ) Take part in more formal interaction by recognising and responding to greetings, taking leave, stating a wish e.g. I d like to Take part in social interaction, e.g. Inviting and offering e.g. would you like Accepting invitations, accepting and refusing offers; greeting and responding to a greeting; introducing others e.g. this is; he/she lives Use grammar and vocabulary to express: likes/dislikes; feelings; simple views e.g. I like, I m not happy I think this is good/bad Recognises likes/dislikes/feelings/views of others and respond e.g. That s right/do you/i don t Assessment Tasks Task 1 Guide Time: 10 minutes Activities to be completed by the candidate a. Listen to a short simple explanation, narrative or conversation on a familiar topic read by the tutor and answer questions Listen for gist and detail b. Follow and respond to single-step instructions read by the tutor. Ask for repetition if necessary. Task 2 Guide Time: 5 minutes Take part in a one-to-one role-play with the tutor in a more formal exchange on a familiar topic e.g. greet, take leave, make a request, ask questions, give personal information, respond to a request, ask for clarification, speak clearly to make self understood, give instructions/ directions, invite, offer Task 3 Guide Time: 10 minutes Take part in a discussion with the tutor and one other candidate in an informal social situation e.g. introduce, talk about likes and dislikes, feelings and opinions, give directions. Page 17 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

18 Unit Specifications Entry 1 Unit 2 Reading Introduction In this unit the candidates will be assessed on how to obtain and understand information from signs, notices, lists, forms, notes and simple narratives. They will also be asked to read simple sentences and recognise key personal words. At this level candidates can: Read and understand short texts with repeated language patterns on familiar topics Read and obtain information from common signs and symbols Assessment The table in this specification has been developed to detail the National Adult Literacy Standards that must be achieved and within these the particular skills mediated from the ESOL Core Curriculum that needs to be demonstrated. The assessment materials supplied by Ascentis will include a mark scheme specific to each task and performance descriptors to be used by all assessors. An Ascentis-devised assessment will be supplied. The tasks involve reading a series of texts and answering questions on them. These tasks need to be completed under supervised conditions. The tasks need not all be carried out at the same time but candidates must only see the task to be completed, not the other tasks. Candidates work must be taken in and kept securely at all times. At this level, tutors may read out the question rubrics if the candidate is struggling and may write the answers out for the student. The use of a dictionary is allowed for the reading assessments. Electronic dictionaries are not allowed. Page 18 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

19 Entry 1 Unit 2 Reading Skills Required Candidates will be assessed on all the Adult Literacy Skills Standards (statements below in bold) within the external assessment. The particular skills to be assessed, taken from the ESOL Core Curriculum, are detailed below the relevant standard. Follow a short narrative on a familiar topic or experience (Rt E1 3a,b) Read and understand a narrative with repeated language patterns Obtain information from texts by recognising key words and phrases Read a table to obtain information Recognise ways of expressing prohibition words e.g. Keep off, do not Obtain meaning from key words and symbols Recognise the different purposes of texts at this level (Rt E1 2a) Recognise the purpose of simple texts by the layout Recognise and understand common signs and symbols Recognise conventional phrases in context Read and recognise simple sentence structures (Rs E1 1a) Recognise common patterns of simple sentences, subject-verb-object, subject-verbprepositional phrase e.g. She has 2 children; he lives in Preston Recognise when a sentence contains instructions, directions, prohibitions Recognise that not all texts are whole sentences Use punctuation and capitalisation to aid understanding (Rs E1 1b) Recognise the use of full stops and capital letters in a sentence to help understand the text Recognise capital letters for names, places and the personal pronoun I Possess a limited, meaningful sight vocabulary of words, signs and symbols (Rw E1 1a) Recognise days of the week, family words, dates, times and other common words in everyday use Recognise and understand use of : in, out, off, down Decode simple regular words (RwE1 2a) Recognise the letters of the alphabet in both upper and lower case (Rw E1 3a,b ) Recognise words and signs in different cases and fonts Recognise digits e.g. Dates, times, telephone numbers and prices Page 19 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

20 Entry 1 Unit 2 Reading Activities to be completed by the candidate Assessment The Tasks Guide time: 30 minutes Read and answer the questions on 3 different types of short texts - e.g. letter, , message, narrative, table, notices and signs on a familiar topic or experience Page 20 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

21 Unit Specifications Entry 1 Unit 3 Writing Introduction In this unit the candidates will be assessed on their ability to write to communicate information in simple texts such as forms, lists, notes, messages and records. They will also be assessed on their ability to write a simple sentence, using capital letters and full stops, and to spell personal key words. At this level candidates can: Write to communicate information to an intended audience Assessment The table in this specification has been developed to detail the National Adult Literacy Standards that must be achieved and within these the particular skills mediated from the ESOL Core Curriculum that needs to be demonstrated. The assessment materials supplied by Ascentis will include a mark scheme specific to each task and performance descriptors to be used by all assessors. An Ascentis - devised assessment will be supplied made up of three tasks which will test the candidate s ability to carry out the skills under supervised conditions. The Tasks need not all be carried out at the same time but candidates must only see the task to be completed not the other tasks Candidates work must be taken in and kept securely at all times The use of a dictionary is not allowed for the writing assessments Page 21 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

22 Entry 1 Unit 3 Writing Skills Required Candidates will be assessed on all the Adult Literacy Skills Standards (statements below in bold) within the external assessment. The particular skills to be assessed, taken from the ESOL Core Curriculum, are detailed below the relevant standard. Use written words and phrases to record or present information (Wt E1 1a) Compose very simple text to communicate basic information by filling in details on a form in short answers Compose simple text to communicate information and ideas e.g. About family, country, likes, dislikes, feelings Use layout of simple texts e.g. Invitation, envelope, message Construct a simple sentence (Ws E1 1a) Write at least 3 sentences using common patterns for simple statements of subject-verbobject Use appropriate verb forms including for instruction and direction e.g. Simple present of be, have, do, go to and common regular verbs Punctuate a simple sentence using a capital letter and full stop (Ws E1 2a) Use capital letters for names, places, days of the week and months Use capital letters at the start of sentence and full stops at the end Use a capital letter for personal pronoun I (Ws E1 3a) Always spell the word I with a capital letter Spell correctly some personal key Words and familiar words (Ww E1 1a) Spell personal vocabulary correctly Use structural words correctly e.g. In, of, the Use key words correctly e.g. Live, come, like Write the letters of the alphabet using upper and lower cases (Ww E1 2a,b,) Use upper and lower case letters with some accuracy Space letters and words appropriately and position them on the line Form digits 1 9 with some accuracy Page 22 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

23 Entry 1 Unit 3 Writing Activities to be completed by the candidate Assessment Task Task 1 Guide Time : 10 minutes Complete a simple form with personal information Task 2 Guide Time: 10 minutes Write a few sentences of personal narrative Task 3 Guide Time: 10 minutes Write a) an invitation and b) a message or an to a friend or family member Page 23 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

24 Unit Specifications Entry 2 Unit 4 Speaking and Listening Introduction In this unit the candidates will be assessed on their ability to speak clearly when communicating with other people. In doing this they will be assessed on their ability to make requests and ask for information, on their ability to give personal information and ask questions to help understanding. They will be assessed on their ability to pronounce clearly what they want, to follow instructions, to help them get what they want and to respond to any questions. At this level candidates can: Listen and respond to spoken language, including straightforward information, short narratives, explanations and instructions Speak to communicate information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics Engage in discussion with one or more people in a familiar situation, to establish shared understanding about familiar topics Assessment The table in this specification has been developed to detail the National Adult Literacy Standards that must be achieved and within these the particular skills mediated from the ESOL Core Curriculum that needs to be demonstrated. The skills required for the assessment are detailed in the description of the tasks. The assessment materials supplied by Ascentis will include a mark scheme specific to each task and performance descriptors to be used by all assessors. An Ascentis - devised assessment will be supplied. The tasks involve listening to a recording and answering question on it, taking part in a role-play, giving a short presentation and taking part in a discussion. The tasks need not all be carried out at the same time but candidates must only see the task to be completed, not the other tasks. Candidates work must be taken in and kept securely at all times. When carrying out assessment work with other candidates working in groups, the tutor must be rigorous to ensure that each candidate has a fair opportunity to be assessed on all parts of the speaking and listening skills and is not hindered e.g. by the poor performance of other candidates. If this is the case, the tutor will need to intervene and if necessary take on the role of one of the candidates to ensure fairness of assessment opportunity. Centres are required to make a recording (digital or taped) of 100% of candidate performances in the speaking element of the assessments. Page 24 of 52 Version 6 September 2011

25 Entry 2 Unit 4 Speaking and Listening Skills Required Candidates will be assessed on all the Adult Literacy Skills Standards (statements below in bold) within the external assessment. The particular skills to be assessed, taken from the ESOL Core Curriculum, are detailed below the relevant standard. Listen for and follow the gist of explanations, instructions and narratives (Lr E2 1a,b,c) Identify the situation, speakers or topic Understand key words and follow the general meaning Listen for detail in short explanations, instructions and narratives (Lr E2 2b,c,d Lr E2 4a) Identify key words to find the information required Use knowledge of grammatical detail e.g. Present and past simple tense and future time using present continuous, modals to promote understanding Understand key grammatical forms e.g. Use of imperatives and negative imperatives in instructions and directions Recognise and respond to sequence markers e.g. First, finally Listen for and identify the main points of short explanations and instructions ( Lr E2 3a) Extract the main information required Listen to and follow short, straight forward explanations and instructions Listen for and identify simply expressed feelings and opinions (Lr E2 6a) Identify common structures and vocabulary used in expressing different feelings and opinions e.g. I really like. My favourite is, because Speak clearly to be heard and understood in straightforward exchanges (Sc E2 1a,b) Place stress correctly on familiar words to make meaning understood Pronounce sounds correctly to make meaning clear Use intonation appropriately in statements and questions Make requests and ask questions to obtain information in everyday contexts (Sc E2 2a,d,e) Ask for things or actions using modals to make polite requests e.g. Can, could Ask for information using appropriate verb forms such as past and present simple, present continuous e.g. Going to for future Use different question types to ask for directions and instructions e.g. Excuse me, could you can you tell me, I d like. Confirm understanding by summarising information e.g. Ok, I do, I see, so first. Page 25 of 52 Version 6 September 2011